EBC projects EBRA and RethinkingMS will be presented during the Scientific Theatre at the upcoming EAN Congress 2020, which is going to be held virtually.

Both presentations will take place on Sunday, 24 May at 14:00 (EBRA) and 14:30 (RethinkingMS). Further details on the presentations are included below:

EBRA (European Brain Research Area): Harmonising brain research and funding initiatives in Europe

Presented by Dr Kristien Aarts, European Brain Council

The European Brain Council (EBC) launched the EBRA (European Brain Research Area) project at the end of 2018. EBRA aims to bring key players in brain research together – JPND (EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research), Human Brain Project (HBP) and ERA-NET NEURON – to discuss how fragmentation in both funding and research can be reduced, as well as to identify where the gaps in knowledge are and how we can facilitate translation. A landscape of existing brain research projects, based on the funding portfolios of JPND, HBP, NEURON, Horizon 2020 and EU Framework Programme 7 will be provided. Active brain research clusters will be identified and supported in their activities and research strategies across European brain initiatives will be aligned during the development of a Shared European Brain Research Agenda (SEBRA). Through such effective and efficient collaboration and cooperation among the various initiatives, EBRA believes that brain research will achieve its full impact. Preliminary results will be presented.

More information: https://www.ebra.eu/

RETHINKING MS in Europe: prioritising integrated services for people with multiple sclerosis

Presented by Vinciane Quoidbach, European Brain Council

The European Brain Council (EBC) and The Health Policy Partnership (HPP) have been working together to create RETHINKING MS, a new project calling for change in how Multiple Sclerosis care and support is organised. The project began in 2018. EBC and HPP collaborated with experts from across Europe to build an interdisciplinary consensus around sustainable policy and regulatory responses to MS at the European level. This formed the basis of the core report, RETHINKING MS in Europe: prioritising integrated services for people with multiple sclerosis. Building on the findings from the EBC 2017 Value of Treatment report, this pan-European policy narrative identifies key challenges in MS care and makes recommendations for how they can be addressed. Results from the health services research and country situation assessment will be presented.

More information: https://www.braincouncil.eu/rethinkingms/